Christian Ancher Collett

{{Short description|Norwegian engineer, architect, and building inspector}}

Christian Ancher Collett (30 April 1771 – 10 January 1833) was a Norwegian engineer, architect, and building inspector.

He was born as the oldest child of Peter Collett and Johanne Henriche Ancher. He had two older half-siblings, Peter Collett and Anne Cathrine Collett, as well as eight younger siblings, one of whom died before reaching the age of one.[http://www.collettfamilyhistory.net/Part%2024%20-%20The%20Norway%20Line%201655%20to%201810%20Rev.2.htm Collett family part 1] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210085534/http://www.collettfamilyhistory.net/Part%2024%20-%20The%20Norway%20Line%201655%20to%201810%20Rev.2.htm |date=2008-12-10 }}

He married Anna Karine Bie (1775–1856). The couple had five children. Their daughter Johanne Benedicte married Peder Christian Hersleb Kjerschow,[http://www.collettfamilyhistory.net/Part%2024%20-%20The%20Norway%20Line%201810%20to%201890%20Rev.4.htm Collett family part 2] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210085539/http://www.collettfamilyhistory.net/Part%2024%20-%20The%20Norway%20Line%201810%20to%201890%20Rev.4.htm |date=2008-12-10 }} bishop of the diocese of Bjørgvin. Through this marriage Christian Ancher Collett had the great-grandson Christian Michelsen, statesman and Prime Minister of Norway.[http://www.disnorge.no/ho/artikler/Utklipp_bt020705e1b23.pdf «Nu gjælder det at holde kjæft»], by Øyvind Ask, Bergens Tidende.

An engineer, Christian Ancher Collett was a director of Kongsberg Silver Mines. In 1816 King Charles II appointed him as a consultant (Statlig bygningsinspektør) to manage the royal buildings around Christiania. The construction of the Royal Palace commenced during this period. He held this position until his death in 1833, and was succeeded by Christian Heinrich Grosch. The position is considered the predecessor of the government agency Statsbygg.{{Cite web |url=http://www.statsbygg.no/aapentrom/arkiv/nr3_2006/5.html |title=History of Statsbygg |access-date=2008-08-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080926032023/http://www.statsbygg.no/aapentrom/arkiv/nr3_2006/5.html |archive-date=2008-09-26 |url-status = dead }}

An architect, Collett was hired by Niels Aall to design the family's summer residence, Ulefos Manor, Ulefoss (Ulefos Hovedgaard).{{Cite web|url=https://kulturminnesok.no/minne/?queryString=https://data.kulturminne.no/askeladden/lokalitet/86736|title=Kulturminnesøk|last=Kulturminnesøk|website=kulturminnesok.no|language=nb|access-date=2019-12-01}} Collett did so in collaboration with Jørgen Henrich Rawert, completing construction in 1807.{{Cite book|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/300289733|title=Bjarne Thinn Syvertsen and modern architecture|last=Thorkildsen|first=Åsmund|date=2008|publisher=Labyrinth Press|isbn=978-82-7393-079-8|oclc=300289733}} Influenced by Aall's time studying abroad, the manor is Empire-style, drawing inspiration from Andrea Palladio’s La Rotonda.{{Citation|last=Gjeruldsen|first=Ole H.|title=Niels Aall|date=2014-09-28|url=http://nbl.snl.no/Niels_Aall|work=Norsk biografisk leksikon|language=no|access-date=2019-12-01}}